I've always wanted to do a wallpaper depicting what you might see laying on your back and looking up through the trees at the wonderous night sky. After creating this planet in Vue d'Esprit (my first such attempt) it seemed like the time was right.
I hope you enjoy it! This is a bit of a first draft so don't be surprised if I post an update or two in the days ahead...

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30 comments on"Skyward (2014)"

I did have a problem with the reddish branches that seemed to take over the picture. I like this newer version much better with the branches that are still viewable but doing take away from the centerpiece of the planet.

JTYoung

"Very Nice"

Fri June 20, 2014 at 8:36 pm

Anxiously waiting for the multiple monitor versions.

Mike W.

"Love it!"

Sat June 14, 2014 at 3:48 pm

Dark sky/space wallpapers are my favorite :)

Chandler

"Amazing! However missing 1680x1050"

Sat June 14, 2014 at 2:28 pm

I would give this a 9-10 because I love space scenes and I have this on my mobile device and I love it! When I looked into getting it for one of my desktops I noticed that the 1680x1050 Resolution was missing? Is there a reason for this or was it just missed in the upload??

Jenanne

"10! "

Sat June 14, 2014 at 2:04 pm

Love it! The tree branches are great now -- easier to see but not too bright or too dark. I did like the "banding" and the additional cloud cover on the planet, but I think I'm in the minority here. This looks finished.

@Betsey -- I think "nodof" means "no depth of field." :)

Tyler

"@D"

Fri June 13, 2014 at 9:25 pm

Near perfection? What more remains? It's incredible. Ryan please release the multi ASAP.

RC Davison

"BINGO!!"

Fri June 13, 2014 at 5:46 pm

Third time is the charm! Keep up the great work!

betsey

"great....but...."

Fri June 13, 2014 at 2:43 pm

what is "nodof"?????

D

"Near Perfection"

Fri June 13, 2014 at 1:31 pm

This third version is amazing, love the planet and tree lighting changes.

D

"Near Perfection"

Fri June 13, 2014 at 1:30 pm

This third version is amazing, love the planet and tree lighting changes.

Brandi U.

"Version 3 - great changes"

Fri June 13, 2014 at 1:11 pm

Love the improved tree lighting. Reducing the clouds to show more of the planet really raises improves the piece. The planet is very interesting to look at.

Joel

"Tree Lighting"

Thu June 12, 2014 at 9:05 pm

I really like this silhouette version of the tree branches. They're much less distracting and it makes the glowing planet stand out all that much more. Love it! :D

Simon G.

"Replaces my favorite"

Thu June 12, 2014 at 9:02 pm

This one replaces my favorite for a while, Arboreal 2003. The Arboreal 2012 missed the coldish side of the landscape but, here on Skyward I feel in the same enviroment of the 2003, and the visual are upgraded. I just love the feeling! Terrific work!

RC Davison

"Almost there!"

Thu June 12, 2014 at 8:39 pm

Great image! I like the second image but the trees are too dark and hard to make them out against the planet in shadow. Somewhere in between the first and second image would work. What do you set your monitors to for brightness when you do your images? Do you expect a 50% brightness for the user?

Ryan

"Re: Banding"

Wed June 11, 2014 at 9:08 pm

The "banding" on the planet is actually shadows in the atmosphere from the tall clouds! It's a feature not a bug!

Ken F

"9"

Wed June 11, 2014 at 7:46 pm

Another outstanding work! I could comment about the banding on the planet or the lighting on the trees but I have always followed this thinking when looking at one of your wallpapers...Not everything has to follow the exact laws of science. This is art and the word Blashemy explains it all...[irreverent behavior toward anything held sacred, priceless, etc]. Keep up the excellent work!!!

halletl

"Love the concept"

Wed June 11, 2014 at 4:07 pm

I, too, love the concept of this rendering. To me, I see this as someone who inhabits one of this planet's moons and is looking up into the night sky & gazing upon the planet in the night sky.

halletl

"Love the concept"

Wed June 11, 2014 at 4:00 pm

I, too, love the concept of this rendering. To me, I see this as someone who inhabits one of this planet's moons and is looking up into the night sky & gazing upon the planet in the night sky.

Josh

"9"

Wed June 11, 2014 at 8:53 am

I don't mind the trees as they are, but I think they might benefit from a bit of tweaking, lighting-wise.

@Xetal: This is almost certainly not our moon. Our moon also doesn't have much atmosphere to speak of, particularly not visible to the naked eye from Earth.

The streaks almost look to me like the gas bands a gas giant would have, which seems a bit strange given that they are under the other clouds in the atmosphere of the planet.

On the whole, I really like it.

Xetal

"great, but...."

Tue June 10, 2014 at 7:23 am

...not too happy with the streaks where day & night meet on the moon, which doesn't rotate fast enough to cause them. A small adjustment would raise the score quite a lot.

Xetal

"great, but...."

Tue June 10, 2014 at 7:23 am

...not too happy with the streaks where day & night meet on the moon, which doesn't rotate fast enough to cause them. A small adjustment would raise the score quite a lot.

Littlemom

"9"

Mon June 9, 2014 at 5:22 pm

Love it. there is some streaking on the moon but other than that I think it's beautiful

Tor

"Light"

Mon June 9, 2014 at 2:54 pm

Maybe if it looked more like it was a campfire lighting the trees? Light up the trees closer to the ground/near the border and more shadowy/darker towards the top/center?

Jenanne

"Oh, wow!"

Mon June 9, 2014 at 1:43 pm

You've been reading my mind again, Ryan. I love this concept and have a number of photos with this perspective but none of them are as fabulous as this will be. IMHO the trees wouldn't be noticeable if they weren't lit, but you might try toning down the orangish-brown color a tad and see what happens. Perhaps a deeper brown would help deal with Tor's issue.

A few nits: I like the Milky Way behind the planet but it's a little too bright. I wouldn't want it gone but toned down would look better. The main thing that draws my negative attention is the thick, tangled branches on the right side. They remind me of arteries instead of branches. I know you have more to cover on the right but I'd like them better if they were thinner and straighter, as if we're seeing the tops of the pines reaching for the sky. And there's a branch a little more than half way up on the right that just ends -- looks like it's been hacked off. But overall I love this render and can't wait for the final!

Ryan

"Lighting"

Mon June 9, 2014 at 7:09 am

I lit the trees from the beneath because I was concerned that you wouldn't be able to see them otherwise and the theme (looking up) would be much less evident. I will try a version with them silhouetted though.

Tor

"Too light"

Mon June 9, 2014 at 2:14 am

For a night scene the trees are too lit up. With the light source from that angle, the trees should be very dark and almost outlined by the sky. Other than that, I like it a lot. The composition is wonderful.

Jonathan A

"Fantastic"

Sun June 8, 2014 at 10:11 pm

I've been wanting you to do one from this perspective for a good while now, and I am not disappointed. Brilliant work as always.

Jason

"Love it!"

Sun June 8, 2014 at 10:00 pm

I really like the idea behind this image, and think it turned out fantastic!

Susan

"Very nice"

Sun June 8, 2014 at 9:48 pm

I really love the planet renders you've done. The galaxy/system in the background first gave the impression that the planet was blowing apart, but realizing it is the background just makes it more amazing. The trees in the foreground though are what disturbs the picture. It might be just me but but the branches seems to catch my attention and don't allow me to focus on the planet and stars as much.

Brandi U.

"Almost perfect"

Sun June 8, 2014 at 9:16 pm

Love this. I do think it would look better with fewer stars and no galaxy behind the planet. Such a large planet would be too bright to see all that in the sky. I also think it leaves the sky too cluttered looking.